Glocal Citizens

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week on the podcast it’s an NYU affair with a side of Columbia University, Harvard University and UCLA. I first met my guest as fellow New York University students/alumni in the late 1990’s, at a time when slam poetry was beginning to reaching global audiences with influences from hip hop music and other activist movements. Fast foward after more than 20 years to earlier this spring when our paths crossed again at an event hosted by fellow Glocal Citizen and Director of NYU Accra, Chiké Frankie Edozien - The Labone Dialogues. Bryonn is a poet, actor, prison activist, playwright, scholar, author, hip hop artist and professor of African American Studies, Theater, Film & Television, and World Arts & Cultures in the School of the Arts and the School of Law at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Playing over 40 characters, his one-man show, LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN, won “Best Solo Performance” from the LA Weekly and the NAACP. Executive produced by the late and great, Harry Belafonte, the show tells stories of wrongful incarceration through spoken word poetry, hip hop theater, calypso, comedy and classical music. He founded the Prison Education Program at UCLA in 2015 and in 2019, the program and his performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts were featured on the debut episode of LA Stories, which won an Emmy Award. His work has been featured on a diverse range of stages including the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Public Theater (NYC), National Black Theatre (Harlem), NJ PAC, The Actor’s Gang Theater (Culver City), Los Angeles Theater Center (LATC), Festival de Liege (Belgium), M-1 Theater Festival (Singapore), Universidad de las Americas (Mexico) and Muteesa Royal University (Uganda), Rikers Island (New York), Marion Prison (Ohio), TEDX at Ironwood State Prison and Sing Sing Prison. He has performed at over 250 colleges and prisons in the U.S., Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. And soon in Ghana! Where to find Bryonn? https://www.bryonn.com On LinkedIn On Instagram What’s Bryonn reading? A Survey of Muhammad Ali Biographies What’s Bryonn watching? Concerning Violence What’s Bryonn listening to? Blues Women Other topics of interest: What is a Calypsonian About Veteran Black Panther Jamal Joseph About Akuse Prison in Ghana 90’s music roll-call - The Fu-Schnickens, Digital Underground, Tupac Shakur About Pedro Noguera About Delroy Lindo Sinners the film About Michael A. JordanSpecial Guest: Bryonn Bain.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week on the podcast we have another installment of Glocal Citizens x Black Women in Real Estate collaboration--Borderless Building. Throughout the year, we’re hosting conversations with BWRE members showcasing the personal and professional journeys of Black women in the real estate industry across tthe global. We’re highlighting how Black women in the industry invest and structure value in/around land/property across global markets; and how we are offering valuable insight into the business/operational functions in the real estate industry to inspire a spirit of land stewardship. You’ll hear this and more in this week's conversation. My guest, Nioki Doggett comes to us from the UK by way of her Bajan roots in Barbados. Throughout her career, she’s helped institutional investors across the globe navigate complex real estate markets and find high-conviction opportunities, building the kind of trust that turns one-time conversations into decade-long partnerships. As Lead Business Development and Investor Relations Director for M&G Real Estate's European Platform, she drives capital growth and delivers tailored investment solutions for global institutional investors. Her work sits at the intersection of relationship management, market insight, and strategic advisory. Beyond her core role, Nioki is actively involved in shaping the broader real estate and investment community as a Committee Member of the INREV DDQ Committee, the Guild of Investment Managers, Ladies in Real Estate. She is a mentor at Chancerygate supporting real estate undergraduates entering the industry, and conference moderator and panel speaker on real estate and investment topics. Listen and learn more about how her deep expertise in real estate investment dynamics and global investor network spanning multiple markets and geographies are creating value where it counts. Where to find Nioki? On LinkedIn @ Ladies in Real Estate (LiRE) What’s Nioki watching? Grey’s Anatomy and other shows by Shonda Rhimes Apprentice UK Dragon’s Den What’s Nioki listening to? Bruno Mars Marvin Sapp Adele Olivia Dean Daniel Caesar Other topics of interest: About Black Women in Real Estate About Barbados now and Bajan roots Reading, Berkshire Royal Borough of WindsorSpecial Guest: Nioki Doggett.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week’s conversation with Adedayo Jemima Lewis, Senior VP Commercial & Growth at Fincra, offers great insights into process and realities of realizing your passion in a new local. From applying and receiving a Global Talent Visa to sharpening her impact-driven career lens, Jemima is one to watch, particularly in the African Fintech space. As a commercial and growth leader with a foundation in marketing, brand, and communications, her expertise lies in a unique combination of strategic positioning and operational discipline, which she uses to successfully build and scale businesses. Across the leadership roles she has held at Fincra, she has consistently focused on the intersection of commercial growth, brand, and communications, enhancing Fincra's go-to-market strategies, refining its value proposition, and ensuring scalable systems support business goals. Today, in her commercial and growth leadership role, she combines that narrative craft with revenue-minded discipline, helping align teams, messaging, and market motion to support sustainable growth. She oversees the management of commercial revenue strategy, strategic partnerships, and market expansion, converting Fincra’s technical capabilities and vision into commercial success. Her portfolio of experience includes work for organisations such as microfinance fintech Aella, Wild Fusion—Africa's leading integrated marketing communications agencies, The Republic Agency, Oando PLC, Lafarge Africa, UBA, Chivita 100%, and more, with responsibilities spanning digital strategy, content development, campaign execution, community management, growth and PR. When she’s not wearing the commercial or growth hat, Jemima dedicates her time to podcasting. Where to find Jemima? @The Shrine Podcast On LinkedIn On Instagram What’s Jemima reading? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey What’s Jemima watching? The Mentalist Other topics of interest: Ekiti State, Nigeria City of Leeds, UK Discover Halifax, UK #EndSARS About the UK’s Global Talent Visa Programme What is an API? Central Bank of Nigeria - CBNSpecial Guest: Jemima Lewis.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week on the podcast community builidng is a central theme. For twenty years, my guest, Bakajika Tshinanga, has operated at the exact intersection where culture generates economic value. His journey started in 2004, when he founded a student-led program at the University of Georgia Atlanta. Georgia Daze still runs today and has improved enrollment yield conservatively valued at $150M+ in incremental revenue for the university. That experience shaped how he thinks about infrastructure: who builds it, who benefits, and who owns the upside. He went on building hospitality programming delivering the cultural insight that prompted AT&T to sponsor Drake's inaugural headline tour and leading the campaign that introduced the Lyft ridesahre app to Atlanta. He’s produced work with cultural figures including Michael Jordan, and while an undergraduate he producing concerts featuring Outkast, Lauryn Hill, and Dave Chappelle. Also of note, he owns a publishing catalog featuring songs from Lil Wayne, The Neptunes, Sevyn Streeter, Pusha T, and Usher. Coding since age 11, technology is lens he's always looking through. His latest endeavor, the lOlŌ's platform is the direct expression of technology deployed as infrastructure to close the gap between who creates cultural value and who captures it. He's lived the innovator's dilemma firsthand: operating at the riskiest part of the curve, where the work is undeniable but the capital isn't designed to find you. That experience is why lOlŌ exists—a collective ownership vehicle for cultural capital, community-capitalized, community-governed, designed to compound for generations. Where to fine Bakajika? On LinkedIn On Instagram On Threads What’s Bakajika reading? The Science of Scaling by Dr. Benjamin Hardy adn Blake Erickson What’s Bakajika watching? Dreaming Whilst Black on Showtime How’s Bakijika listening to? Who is Joy Leone? Other topics of interest: Kinshasa, DRC About Georgia Daze University of Michigan Supreme Court Affirmative Action Case Atlanta Influences Everything Lɔlɔ̃ means loveSpecial Guest: Bakajika Tshinanga.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! I’m sure many of you remember the groundbreaking web series An African City. We’ve even hosted a panel featuring creator of the series Nicole Amarteifio in our writing as activism series. My guest this week launched her creative career as a cast member on the series and she hasn’t looked back since. Maame Adjei is a Ghanaian storyteller, producer, director, entrepreneur and cultural archivist. As the founder of Sweet Roots Media, she leads a women-driven media hub dedicated to amplifying cultural narratives and preserving history through high-quality storytelling. Their work spans documentary scripted, brand storytelling, and immersive experiences, all crafted to resonate on a global scale. Beyond media, she is the founder of Duruyeh, a bold jewelry brand celebrating heritage, beauty, and self-expression. Every piece tells a story, designed not just as an accessory but as a keepsake to be passed down. Maame is also deeply invested in archival work and co-founded Korabea which focuses on preserving, protecting, and uplifting the stories of Ghanaian women, both past and present, through exhibitions, educational projects, and a forthcoming podcast. #NewPodcastAlert! Where to find Maame? On LinkedIn On Instagram On Facebook On YouTube What’s Maame listening to? Devi Brown’s Deeply Well Podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty The Myleik Teele Podcast The Emotions Other topics of interest: NAFTI is now UniMAC-IFT Who is GloRilla? The Whites of Our Eyes Trailer On Kenneth B. Clark's Doll Study The Sunday Mirror today Nana Konadu Agyeman RawlingsSpecial Guest: Maame Adjei.

Heartfelt Greetings, Glocal Citizens. This week’s encore episode is a salve for my heavy heart. I’m resharing it as a reminder of life’s certainties; because it reflects some of the roots experiences that my guest, Global Ghanaian, death doula and author of Briefly Perfectly Human, Alua Arthur and I share; and because care for the aging has become a feature focus of my life story, particulary since the start of the pandemic. On April 4th, my father, Peter Otoe Adu took his leave from the body that was the man I know as Daddy, Dad, PO, Peter and papa. He was 86. Last week on the podcast, I mentioned the long overdue solutionscape and stretch salon series. The first topic we covered in these live sessions--the future of work in care for the aging, is an ever-timely discussion that will go live later this month. Woven into this series will be small tributes in memory of the briefly, perfectly human life dad lived and what I hope will be inspiration for us all to normalize conversations, pay attention and act in the interest of not just our elders but our inevitably aging selves. Where to find Alua? See the show notes for Episode 164Special Guest: Alua Arthur.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This year our Women’s Herstory Month series has taken us for the first time to Botswana and Norway; we stopped in the UK, picked up flavors from Nigeria, Sudan, Zambia, Netherlands, Philippines, Belgium, Brazil and South Africa; went on a future forward mission in Kenya, and we’re landing home in a flashback forward conversation with fellow Ghanaian-American and early Glocal Citizen, Nana Amoako-Anin. Nana first joined us on the podcast in January 2020 in a time when wellness was often taken for granted or an afterthought for later. Then the global pandemic, COVID-19 changed everything. Wellness is now having a moment. However, as we’ll discuss in the conversation, the moment calls for depth, not trend, to sustain real mindset and lifestyle shifts on the personal and professional levels. Nana writes about this at Wellness in Black and lives and works it as a social entrepreneur and organizational leader. She is best known as the founder of Bliss Yoga Accra, Ghana’s first full-service yoga studio. With a background in law, she brings cross-sector expertise to her work, which bridges global perspectives with local impact, positioning her as a thought leader in mindful leadership, mentorship, social innovation and international executive strategy. In this conversation we catch up on evolving realities around wellness for Africans and in Ghana as well as her experience diversifying the what and how of work, guided by her enduring committment to staying people centered. And much, much more. Where to find Nana? https://www.nanaamoakoanin.com/ @ Bliss Yoga Accra On Glocal Citizens At CrowdReason What’s Nana reading? An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi Other topics of interest: The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic The “official” Vicks story Kemetic Yoga An African History of Africa on YouTube On Legalized Cannabis in Ghana Indigenous vs Colonial Medicine in Ghana Hamamat Shea Butter Museum ishowspeed in Ghana Jill Scott talks with Angie MartinezSpecial Guest: Nana Amoako-Anin.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week our Women’s Herstory Month series takes us back to Kenya--to a place called Area Nyaga. Our guide is futurist, artist, and creative synthesist reimagining African futures, San’aa Njeeri. Distilling over a decade of global interdisciplinary practice, she positions art as a tool for education, translating complex ideas into accessible experiences that advance African storytelling while progressing digital ecosystems and financial literacy within the context of emerging technologies. Through Area Nyaga, her world building framework informed by the Maasci Return saga and her seminal MaaSci series, she situates Indigenous African identities within expansive futuristic landscapes through her signature visual language, A.EYE (African Eye). Working across speculative art, immersive environments, and narrative design, she develops cultural and digital infrastructures that expand how futures can be imagined, understood, and built. Her work is guided by a defining inquiry: What becomes possible when cultural heritage informs the futures we shape and the narratives we carry forward? In this conversation we explore this question and find ourselves in depth with San’aa getting to know more about how from childhood, her Kenya has grounded the mission and vision that focus her world, and at times, interstellar view. Where to find San’aa? On LinkedIn In Instagram On Substack What’s San’aa watching? After Skool Other topics of interest: Baraza Media Lab San People of Southern Africa About Murang'a, Kenya Kiambu County Where is Kirinyaga? Mount Kenya and Batian Peak Other Futures Festival Who is Blinky Bill? Black Rhino Studios Old Town Lamu About my broadcast debut on the Super Six School NewsSpecial Guest: San'aa Njeeri.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week in our continuing Women’s Herstory Month series, we’re in another new country--from southern Africa last week we’re landing in Scandinavia on our first trip to Norway via Sudan, Zambia, The Philippines, Netherlands, Ghana and South Africa--all places my guest this week has called home. Sarah Osman is a cognitive psychologist, global development specialist, and social entrepreneur with twenty years of experience across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Born in Khartoum, Sudan, and shaped by a life lived across multiple continents, she has built her career at the intersection of applied behavioral science and international development, helping major organizations translate insights about human decision-making into programs that create lasting social change. As the founder of Osman Advisory Services, Sarah has worked with international organizations such as the Council of Europe, World Vision, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union on some of the most complex behavioral challenges in global development. In 2024, she founded Ela, a membership community for women of color building their own consulting practices. Ela is grounded in the conviction that structural inequity in the consulting sector cannot be solved by individual effort alone: it requires community, peer accountability, and the kind of behavioral design thinking that Sarah has spent two decades applying in the field. Ela members are already experiencing tangible transformation in how they position themselves and grow with confidence. Sarah is currently building a new platform for Africa-focused professionals who want to harness the power of behavioral and consumer insights in their work and sector. Currently based in Oslo, Sarah is a true ‘glocal’ citizen: Sudanese by heritage, Pan-African by spirit, European by dwelling, and wholly at home in the space between local realities and global systems. Where to find Sarah and her resource offerings? osmanadvisoryservices.com Join the Ela Membership Sign up to the Pattern Recognition Newsletter On LinkedIn On YouTube What’s Sarah reading? Credit Alert by Ayo Akinola We Are Not Consumers by Louis Seeco What’s Sarah listening to? The Department Podcast Other topics of interest: Perspectives on Black Identity in Norway Curious about “Delulu” thinking? Manal Sayid of Sayid ConsultingSpecial Guest: Sarah Osman.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! Next up in our Women’s Herstories Month series is our first trip to Botswana. I met this week’s guest, a native Motswana and globe trotter--Caroline Modise, in Accra earlier this year representing in her role as the Sustainability Engagements Manager at De Beers Group. At De Beers she plays a key role in socialising and amplifying the company’s social impact programs across a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders. The how of our meeting is the Stanford Seed program where De Beers participates as a key partner in Botswana. Caroline built her early career managing relationships with some of the world’s leading diamond jewellery retailers and later became a founding board member and Head of Strategy for the Botswana Careers Roundtable, a pioneering networking platform designed to bridge experienced professionals with emerging talent across corporate Botswana. As an alumna and former board member of the African Leadership Academy—an institution committed to transforming Africa by developing a network of future-ready young leaders—she remains passionate about Africa’s developmental journey, with particular interest in social enterprises and sustainability strategies for grassroots organisations. Listenandlearn more about how her experiences with women in leadership inspire her professionally and creatively, then get to know Caroline the artiste! Where to find Caroline? On LinkedIn On Instagram On Facebook What’s Caroling reading? The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese What’s Caroline listening to? Anything Beyoncé Kaytranada Other topics of interest: My local for this conversation - Nanyuki, Kenya About Gaborone and Palapye in Botswana From Debswana to About the Okavango Basin, the National Geographic’s Okavango Project and watch the film About the Nkashi Storytellers Traditional cuisine in Botswana Treehaus BotswanaSpecial Guest: Caroline Modise.

Women’s Herstory Month Greetings Glocal Citizens! If it’s March then it’s that time again for a month of conversations centering women’s stories and experiences. This week, we’re also kicking off the series with the launch of our Glocal Citizens x Black Women in Real Estate collaboration--Borderless Building. Founded in 2019, Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE) is an organization that aims to bring together black women in property, creating opportunities for upcoming talent and organizing workshops for those already in the industry. Througout the year, we’re teaming up with BWRE to showcase the personal and professional journeys of Black women in the real estate industry; highlight how Black women in the industry invest and structure value in/around land/property across global markets; and offer valuable insight into the business/operational functions in the real estate industry to inspire a spirit of land stewardship. All ideas you’ll hear in this week's conversation. Kicking off the series is BWRE Founder, Hanna Afolabi. A few years after founding BWRE, Hanna found herself furthering her entrepreneurial journey with Mood and Space (MAS), a development company supporting clients in embedding social value in their development vision and strategy as well as efficiently managing processes delivering community focused building and urban neighborhoods. Prior to setting up MAS, Hanna was a Development Director for Balfour Beatty Investments seconded into East Wick and Sweetwater Ltd a joint venture with Places for People. She lead on the feasibility, business planning, budget, design, programming and planning of the mixed-use regeneration project of approx. 1,900 homes on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Her other notable projects in London, include Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town and Borough Triangle in Elephant and Castle. Additionally, she is Vice Chair of the University of Greenwich’s Construction, Property and Surveying Practices Industry Advisory Board and is on Estates Gazette's Diversity & Inclusion Content Advisory Panel, advocating for diverse representation in property. Where to find Hanna? Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE) and get your tix to their International Women’s Day Gala @ Mood and Space On LinkedIn On Instagram What’s Hanna watching? All her Fault Bridgerton on Netflix His & Hers on Netflix Other topics of interest: Oke-Ila in Osun State, Nigeria About Hackney Estates GazetteSpecial Guest: Hanna Afolabi.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week, though Black History Month in the Americas is winding down, here on the podcast we’re consistently aiming to learn, grow and inspire our sustained consciouness around #PanAfricanProgress and we’re deep diving with a son of the country that is at the foundation of liberation across the global Black Diaspora - Haiti. Marc Alain Boucicault is a social entrepreneur and ecosystem builder with over 15 years of experience working in international development and entrepreneurship with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, at MIT and with grassroots organizations focused on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship. He is passionate about leveraging the power of entrepreneurship, technology and communication to reshape socioeconomic dynamics. As the founder of Banj, Haiti’s largest coworking space and entrepreneurship hub connecting various communities to promote innovation in Haiti and the Caribbean he also supports change-makers globally. Marc Alain extends this work in service on the board of the Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) addressing access to higher education in Haiti. He is a Fulbright scholar, a social media influencer and a fellow podcaster. Where to find Marc Alain? On the Executive Talk Podcast On [LinkedIn](linkedin.com/in/marcalainb) On Instagram On Facebook On YouTube What’s Marc Alain watching? Banj 4.0 Other topics of interest: On Hispaniola and how the Haitian Revolution stirred colonialism Haiti Tech Summit Africa Tech Summit - Nairobi On The Five Stakeholder Model What’s GDP really all about? The Assassination of Jovenel Moïse: What happened on July 7, 2021 in Haiti? The IDB Case Study: Seeking a Recipe to Support Entrepreneurs in a Fragile Country: Banj's Approach through the Mobilization of the Innovation Ecosystem in Haiti Haitians at Harvard On Barbados' Inspriational Prime Minister Mia Amor MottleySpecial Guest: Marc Alain Boucicault.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! I met this week’s guest, Nana Asomani-Poku in Jamestown, Accra during a walking tour through featuring stories told in images by Glocal Citizen, James Barnor. It was during the James Barnor @‌95 celebration in 2024. Nana, a UK-born Ghanaian legal professional, filmmaker, and community engagement specialist based in Australia was back in Ghana for a family celebration of his own. As we chatted along the route, he mentioned his work centering social impact in Australia and my curiosity was peaked. What you’ll learn in this conversation spans how he began his career as a legal advocate for asylum seekers and refugees with the UK’s largest not-for-profit immigration law firm to community and stakeholder engagement, building bridges between public sector organisations and marginalised communities in Australia. Alongside his human rights work, he pursued his passion for filmmaking, training at the New York Film Academy and going on to make his first feature film, Drawn. Let’s travel with Nana, to get to know more about his land down under and other stops across the globe. Where to find Nana? On IMDB On Instagram What’s Nana listening to? Whitney Houston, Al Green, The Jacksons, to name a few. Other topics of interest: Visit Porkyto's in Osu, Accra Correction about the Aquarius sun sign, an air sign not a water sign About Leytonstone and The Bow Bells Lifestyle in Perth vs Melbourne Sokoto, Nigeria Ombudsman Services in Australia About the film, The Dish Yoga Nidra + Sankalpa How many countries are there across the planet?Special Guest: Nana Asomani-Poku.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! My guest this week is building the financial infrastructure that Africa deserves. As Chief Operating Officer of KoinKoin and CEO + Country Manager of KoinKoin Ghana Ltd, a leading African digital asset exchange, Mimi Kufuor is creating digital assets solutions that work for real people. She comes to this work after spending 15 years navigating the most complex corners of institutional finance - from regulatory programmes at Bank of America and Barclays to compliance frameworks at Meta, working alongside the European Central Bank and managing initiatives worth £10m+. In that span, she learned how money actually moves, how regulators operate, and how to build systems that can scale with integrity. She continues working with companies navigating African markets, building compliant exchange operations, or trying to understand how digital assets can solve actual problems. Recognized as one of Africa’s “Top Fintech Voices,” she has shaped policy discourse at UK Parliamentary Summits, Financial Times Live events, and African Fintech Summits. Mimi champions financial inclusion, women’s leadership in fintech, and regulatory frameworks that position Africa as a pioneer in the global digital economy, building infrastructure that empowers individuals and businesses to access decentralized finance. As another certified Glocal Citizen, Mimi and I first connected as housemates in Morocco courtesy of mutual friend that you’ll hear about in our conversation Afua Dabanka, the inspired experience curator behind A Beautiful Life Travel. Last year on our trip to Kenya, I got to know about her work with KoinKoin and it is a pleasure to be able to share her progress a year later. #Listenandlearn more! Where to find Mimi? On LinkedIn On Instagram What’s Mimi reading? The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Other topics of interest: About Old Street in London About East Legon, Accra Recognizing Bullying in the Workplace About INSEAD Executive Programs Kwaku Yaro at Gallery 1957 In conversation with Edward Larbi What is Binance? About the evolution of African currencies Digital Assets 101 CitiFM Breakfast Show, 26 January 2026Special Guest: Mimi Kufuor.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! For those listeners in North America, February is Black History Month. Week in and week out on this podcast, we’re all about how our Black present syncs with our history and all things forward for people of the Black diaspora worldwide. This week’s conversation zooms in on a healthcare infrastrucutre solution that has the potential to transform how emergency response services are designed and implemented with the realities of African communities in mind. My guest this week, Folake Owodunni is the co-founder and CEO of Emergency Response Africa (ERA), a health tech company revolutionizing access to emergency care in Africa, beginning with Nigeria. With over 15 years of experience across healthcare, marketing, and consulting in Nigeria, the U.S., and Canada, she brings a dynamic and cross-sectoral approach to solving complex health challenges. Under her leadership, ERA has managed over 4,500 medical emergencies, reducing response times by up to 80%, and forging partnerships with forward-thinking state governments including Edo, Ogun, and Rivers. Also a certified First Responder with the Canadian Red Cross, she is passionate about Africa’s rising tech ecosystem and making fast, reliable emergency medical care accessible to all Africans using technology. Recognized for her innovation and impact, she has received multiple awards and development grants, including the Google Black Founders Fund, JICA’s Next Innovation with Japan Award, The Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award, and most recently, the global Aurora Tech Award. As you’ll hear in the conversation, ERA is appealing to the the Black/African Diaspora to get involved! Health is wealth so #listenandlearn how you can forward ERA’s mission to deliver fast, reliable emergency care across Africa. Where to find Folake? On LinkedIn On Instagram What’s Folake reading? Tessa Afshar’s Jewel of the Nile Finding Flow: The Psychology Of Engagement With Everyday Life by Mihaly Csikszentmihalhi [The CEO Only Does Three Things: Finding Your Focus in the C-Suite](link https://www.scribd.com/document/898002899/A-CEO-Only-Does-Three-Things) by Trey Taylor What’s Folake listening to? Diary of a CEO Podcast [The Lazy CEO](link https://www.thelazyceo.com/) Other topics of interest: Ogun State, Nigeria Kitchner - Waterloo, Canada Meet Dr. Ola Brown of Flying Doctors Nigeria About The Prosperity Paradox African Journal for Emergency Medicine About Biblical FictionSpecial Guest: Folake Owodunni.

This week the US commemorates the MLK Day holiday - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. He would have been 97. The third Monday of January has stood as the official holiday for 40 years, and no matter what the current US administration attempts at erasure, the Black American Diaspora will never forget. I remember growing up, before 1986 when the day became an official holiday, the majority of my Black classmates did not attend school on January 15th. This is the activism that the Civil Rights Movement inspired for two generations, and activism + grassroots organizing are prime topics in this two-part conversation with long-time comrade, fellow Brooklynite, poet, performer, jazz/soul vocalist, musician, producer, designer, and community strategist, Tai Allen. A native New Yorker by way of Panama, Jamaica, and Virginia, Tai’s life story is filled with a history of progressive stands. From his mother’s family being among those that contributed to the suit that integrated schools across the United States—Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka to his father’s influential network of academics and thought leaders, his craft was in the making for his entire upbringing—without him necessarily knowing it. #Listenandlearn more! Where to find Tai? https://taiallen.com/ On LinkedIn On Instagram On Facebook On YouTube On Soundcloud Other topics of interest: About Yonkers, New York Perspective on Jamaican Migration to Panama About Colón and Panama City in Panama About Saint Ann and Saint Elizabeth Jamaica The Maroons of Jamaica How Scots became a presence in Jamaica… Flyght Tyme, the band About Tai’s connection to Roots Author, Alex Palmer Haley and Palmer Family Ancestry The Five Cases that lead to Brown v. Board About recently shuttered community hotspot, The Brooklyn Moon Cafe and Michael Thompson What was Real Player? The Last Poets Amiri Baraka Yosef Ben-Jochannan “Dr. Ben” About Leonard Jeffries Who is Chi Ossé? Revisit Anna Malaika Tubbs on Glocal Citizens CBC - Congressional Black Caucus What’s happening in policy in Utah? A timeline of policing, law enforcement and resistance in the USSpecial Guest: Tai Allen.

This week the US commemorates the MLK Day holiday - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. He would have been 97. The third Monday of January has stood as the official holiday for 40 years, and no matter what the current US administration attempts at erasure, the Black American Diaspora will never forget. I remember growing up, before 1986 when the day became an official holiday, the majority of my Black classmates did not attend school on January 15th. This is the activism that the Civil Rights Movement inspired for two generations, and activism + grassroots organizing are prime topics in this two-part conversation with long-time comrade, fellow Brooklynite, poet, performer, jazz/soul vocalist, musician, producer, designer, and community strategist, Tai Allen. A native New Yorker by way of Panama, Jamaica, and Virginia, Tai’s life story is filled with a history of progressive stands. From his mother’s family being among those that contributed to the suit that integrated schools across the United States—Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka to his father’s influential network of academics and thought leaders, his craft was in the making for his entire upbringing—without him necessarily knowing it. #Listenandlearn more! Where to find Tai? https://taiallen.com/ On LinkedIn On Instagram On Facebook On YouTube On Soundcloud Other topics of interest: About Yonkers, New York Perspective on Jamaican Migration to Panama About Colón and Panama City in Panama About Saint Ann and Saint Elizabeth Jamaica The Maroons of Jamaica How Scots became a presence in Jamaica… Flyght Tyme, the band About Tai’s connection to Roots Author, Alex Palmer Haley and Palmer Family Ancestry The Five Cases that lead to Brown v. Board About recently shuttered community hotspot, The Brooklyn Moon Cafe and Michael Thompson What was Real Player? The Last Poets Amiri Baraka Yosef Ben-Jochannan “Dr. Ben” About Leonard Jeffries Who is Chi Ossé? Revisit Anna Malaika Tubbs on Glocal Citizens CBC - Congressional Black Caucus What’s happening in policy in Utah? A timeline of policing, law enforcement and resistance in the USSpecial Guest: Tai Allen.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week on the podcast, I was thrilled to have been able to take advantage of the fact that this week’s guest and I were on the same timezone because he’s literally moving and shaking across Africa and the Middle East full time. Since he last joined us in early 2020, Oswald Osaretin Guobadia has stepped into multiple new roles on top of being an entrepreneur. This includes more roles on boards, becoming a published author--his book In Pursuit - Journeys in African Entrepreneurship, chronicles the journeys of two friends whose experiences in America shaped their approach to starting their own businesses in Nigeria; and a tireless champion for African innovation. Today, Oswald is a senior policy advisor and digital strategy leader with over 25 years building infrastructure and shaping transformative policy across Africa. He is Managing Partner at DigitA, where, since 2023 he has guided projects and policy innovations that have created impact in countries across Africa, helping to set the pace for inclusive digital development and entrepreneurial growth. Oswald’s advisory reach includes serving presidential offices, leading government agencies, collaborating with multilateral partners, and forging public–private partnerships to help build resilient infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. As Senior Special Assistant on Digital Transformation to the President of Nigeria, he steered Nigeria’s largest startup policy rollout, including the acclaimed Nigeria Startup Act—widely recognized as a benchmark for digital economies. He has shared his insights at TEDx, the United Nations General Assembly, BBC Africa, CNBC Africa, and the Wharton Africa Business Forum, and has graced numerous influential panels and stages globally. He believes, “the next startup to impact the world will start in an African village,” and in this conversation you’ll start to understand how this belief is daily practice. Where to find Oswald? On Glocal Citizens On LinkedIn On Instagram On Medium What’s Oswald reading? Ths Four by Scott Galloway Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie AI 2041 by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan Other topics of interest: About the Benin Kingdom UNDP Timbuktu Policy Approach Digitization vs Digitalization What is Zoho? On Digital EstoniaSpecial Guest: Oswald Oseratin Guobadia.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week’s conversation is a milestone coming to you in two parts. We're 300+1! And my guest is a return voice with serious currency in the public service media and reparatory justice movements. Born in Sierra Leone, Makmid Kamara is a human rights leader, reparatory justice advocate, and development communications practitioner, with almost 20 years’ experience working with national and international development, human rights, and grantmaking organisations in Africa and the United Kingdom. He is the Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East at the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM), where he is leading the organization’s grantmaking efforts to support independent media. He is also the Founder of Reform Initiatives (LBG), an organization working with policymakers, political leaders and affected communities to advance the cause of reparatory justice for historical crimes against Africans and people of African descent. When he last joined us, he was the founding Director of the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF), based in Accra, Ghana. Prior to ATJLF, Makmid worked at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London as (Ag.) Deputy Director of Global Issues and Head of the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) Team; he served as interim Country Director for Amnesty International Nigeria and as a West Africa Researcher. As a Rotarian, a Global Atlantic Fellow and an Obama Foundation Leader - Africa, Makmid seamlessly connects his service mindset with a level of technical expertise and professionalism that inspires and is consistently moving the dial on #PanAfricanProgress. Where to find Makmid? On Glocal Citizens On LinkedIn What’s Makmid watching? Manchester United Other topics of interest: Freetown, Sierra Leone and Reparatory Justice East Legon, Accra About James Deane, co-founder IFPM About Khadija Patel Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate About the Nama People and The Landless Peoples Movement in Namibia The [Wakati Weti Festival](link https://www.wakatiwetufestival.org/WWF2025#/aboutwakatiwetu?lang=en) African Futures Lab Deep South Solidarity Fund Baraza Media LabSpecial Guest: Makmid Kamara.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week’s conversation is a milestone coming to you in two parts. We're 300+1! And my guest is a return voice with serious currency in the public service media and reparatory justice movements. Born in Sierra Leone, Makmid Kamara is a human rights leader, reparatory justice advocate, and development communications practitioner, with almost 20 years’ experience working with national and international development, human rights, and grantmaking organisations in Africa and the United Kingdom. He is the Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East at the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM), where he is leading the organization’s grantmaking efforts to support independent media. He is also the Founder of Reform Initiatives (LBG), an organization working with policymakers, political leaders and affected communities to advance the cause of reparatory justice for historical crimes against Africans and people of African descent. When he last joined us, he was the founding Director of the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF), based in Accra, Ghana. Prior to ATJLF, Makmid worked at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London as (Ag.) Deputy Director of Global Issues and Head of the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) Team; he served as interim Country Director for Amnesty International Nigeria and as a West Africa Researcher. As a Rotarian, a Global Atlantic Fellow and an Obama Foundation Leader - Africa, Makmid seamlessly connects his service mindset with a level of technical expertise and professionalism that inspires and is consistently moving the dial on #PanAfricanProgress. Where to find Makmid? On Glocal Citizens On LinkedIn What’s Makmid watching? Manchester United Other topics of interest: Freetown, Sierra Leone and Reparatory Justice East Legon, Accra About James Deane, co-founder IFPM About Khadija Patel Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate About the Nama People and The Landless Peoples Movement in Namibia The [Wakati Weti Festival](link https://www.wakatiwetufestival.org/WWF2025#/aboutwakatiwetu?lang=en) African Futures Lab Deep South Solidarity Fund Baraza Media LabSpecial Guest: Makmid Kamara.